Research Progress on Metabolic Regulation and Bioactivity of Functional Ingredients in Edible and Medicinal Mushrooms

A special issue of Horticulturae (ISSN 2311-7524).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2026 | Viewed by 751

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Institute of Horticulture, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Science, Hangzhou, China
Interests: edible and medicinal fungi; functional components; secondary metabolism regulation; polysaccharide; polyphenol

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Guest Editor
Institute of Horticulture, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Science, Hangzhou, China
Interests: deep processing of edible mushrooms; metabolic regulation; efficient cultivation

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Guest Editor
Institute of Horticulture, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Science, Hangzhou, China
Interests: edible and medicinal fungi; genetic breeding; physiological ecology; cultivation techniques

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Guest Editor
Institute of Horticulture, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Science, Hangzhou, China
Interests: edible fungi; growth regulation; development regulation; metabolite analysis

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Edible and medicinal fungi have long been recognized for their diverse nutritional and therapeutic benefits. Their functional ingredients, such as polysaccharides, triterpenoids, phenolic compounds, and amino acids, possess a wide range of bioactivities, including immune modulation, antioxidant, anticancer, and antimicrobial properties. Recent research has focused on the metabolic regulation of these bioactive components, uncovering the complex biochemical pathways and regulatory mechanisms that govern their biosynthesis in edible and medicinal fungi. Advances in genomics, metabolomics, and metabolic engineering techniques have provided deeper insights into the metabolic networks of edible and medicinal fungi, enabling the optimization of cultivation conditions and genetic modifications to enhance the yield and potency of functional ingredients. Understanding the interplay between environmental factors, metabolic regulation, and bioactivity is key to the development of novel therapeutic and nutraceutical products.

This Special Issue seeks contributions exploring how ‘horticultural practices (e.g., cultivation systems, environmental controls, and post-harvest treatments) influence the biosynthesis and preservation of functional components in mushrooms. Topics may include but are not limited to the following:

  1. The roles of substrate composition and environmental controls, such as light quality in mushroom metabolomics.
  2. Sustainable cultivation methods for high-value nutraceutical mushrooms.
  3. The integration of omics technologies to guide horticultural optimization.

Dr. Mengyu Wang
Dr. Zuofa Zhang
Dr. Weiming Cai
Dr. Mei Wang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • edible mushrooms
  • medicinal mushrooms
  • cultivation systems
  • bioactive compounds
  • metabolic regulation
  • multi-omics analysis

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

18 pages, 2387 KB  
Article
Comparative Proteomic Analysis Provides Insight into the Effect of Monochromatic Light Wavelength on Metabolic Pathways Regulation of the Edible Mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus Grown in Submerged Fermentation
by Georgios Bakratsas, Martina Samiotaki, Renia Fotiadou, Haralambos Stamatis and Petros Katapodis
Horticulturae 2025, 11(10), 1234; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae11101234 - 13 Oct 2025
Viewed by 529
Abstract
Light plays an essential role in regulating the growth, development, and metabolic activities of the edible mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus. In this research, the influence of white, blue, green, yellow, and red light, and darkness, on the global protein expression of P. ostreatus [...] Read more.
Light plays an essential role in regulating the growth, development, and metabolic activities of the edible mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus. In this research, the influence of white, blue, green, yellow, and red light, and darkness, on the global protein expression of P. ostreatus LGAM 1123 grown in submerged culture was explored. The growth of the fungus was not inhibited by light in any of the conditions tested compared with the dark. However, the mycelial protein content was reduced by 10% under blue and white light. Proteomic analysis revealed distinct proteomes for each light wavelength, with red and blue light presenting the most distinctive proteome profiles. (Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD065402.) Blue light activates pathways such as the citrate cycle (TCA cycle), glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, and amino acid biosynthesis, while red light stimulates mRNA-related pathways. GC-MS analysis of the biomass revealed differences in the amino acids, sugars, and lipids produced. The distinct regulation of proteins and bioactive compounds under different light wavelengths suggests that specific wavelengths can direct the metabolism of P. ostreatus into biochemical pathways. These strategies could be beneficial for the food industry because particular nutrients can be increased during the fermentation of edible fungi without the need for genetic engineering of the strain. Full article
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